Role of Christians in Pakistan Movement

 

 

 As the sun rises on March 23 every year, our hearts, our thoughts get lost in history when our forefathers drew up a plan to make Pakistan a separate state and on March 23, 1940, hinted at making a separate Pakistan۔ A resolution was passed at the annual meeting of the Muslim League in Lahore on March 23, 1940, which decided to establish a separate homeland for Muslims. In a short span of seven years, they managed to get a separate state for themselves. While the Muslim leaders played an important role in making Pakistan a separate state, the Christian leaders of the time also sacrificed their lives and took the lead in meetings, processions and important matters. During the Second Round Table Conference in 1931, all minorities in India, except the Sikhs, under the leadership of Sir Aga Khan, reached an agreement to find a solution to the problem of minorities, known in the history of Pakistan and India as the "Minority Agreement". The agreement was signed by Sir Aga Khan on behalf of the Muslim League, Dr. Bhim Rao Medkar on behalf of the Scheduled Caste, Rao Bahadur Patir Sullivan on behalf of the Indian Anglo and Sir Henry Gaddy and Sir Herbert Carr on behalf of the European Christians.

 This agreement is also known as the joint practical struggle of the minorities during the independence movement. On December 22, 1939, when "Muslim Salvation Day" was celebrated in the Congress ministries following the resignation of Quaid-e-Azam in protest of upper caste Hindu policies. So the Congress was surprised to see that not only Muslims but also Parsis, Christians and millions of Scheduled Castes participated in the "Salvation Day". On March 23, 1940, the Muslim League presented a landmark resolution of Pakistan at the annual meeting of the Muslim League in Lahore. , RA Gomez, SS Albert, Princess Amrit Kaur were also present.

 Apart from him, many other Scheduled Caste and Christian leaders were invited as observers. Christians and Scheduled Caste sided with the Quaid-e-Azam at every step because they knew that their rights would be protected only in Pakistan. The Constituent Assembly of Pakistan was presided over by Scheduled Caste Leader Joginder Nath Mandal, who was also the first Law Minister of Pakistan. Scheduled Caste Leaders like, Chandra Mojdar, Beirut Chandramandal, Sri D Rai, Narain Sanyal, Parinder Kar, Ganga Saran, Lal Avtar, Narain Gujral, Bhim Sen, CN Gibbon, BL Ralia Ram

 While the Speaker of the Punjab Assembly Dewan Bahadur SP Sangha belonged to the Christian community who voted in favor of the resolution of Pakistan in the Punjab Assembly and played an important role in making the establishment of Pakistan possible. The Christian leadership had demanded from the Boundary Commission that Christians be counted as Muslims. A similar important institution, the Christian Study Center, was established in 1968 in Rawalpindi. The then leader of the Christian community, SP Sangha, loudly said:

 They will be shot in the chest Will make pakistan "

 Dewan SP Sangha organized a banquet in honor of Quaid-e-Azam on June 21, 1947 at his residence near Shimla Hill. Ms. Fatima Jinnah and Abdul Rabb Nishtar were also present at the invitation. SP Sangha assured Quaid-e-Azam that Christians would never back down from his support. The conspiracy of the Congress and the British was that the whole of Punjab should become part of India instead of Pakistan. Under this conspiracy, when the assembly was voted on, all the Christian members voted in favor of the Muslim League. When the votes for and against turned out to be equal, Dewan Bahadur Sangha, who was then the Speaker of the Assembly, thwarted the Hindu conspiracy by casting his casting vote in favor of the Muslim League. After the establishment of Pakistan, Christians also carried out the duty of caring for the helpless refugees who migrated side by side with the Muslims. Instead of going to India, the untouchable Hindus of Lahore became Christians and became Pakistanis.

 Quaid-i-Azam announced to give twelve and a half acres of agricultural land to every landless Christian. The first chief of the Pakistani army was also a Christian. Quaid-e-Azam came to power and appointed six ministers. The first deputy speaker was also a Christian and it is a surprising coincidence that the lyrics and music of the Pakistani anthem were also composed by a Christian musician. The white color of the Pakistani flag is the identity of minorities. This color is in dire need of thickening. Its seriousness will enable the minorities to get the justice that the founder of Pakistan promised to the minorities.

 "Pakistan Zindabad Long live Pakistan!